Lenny Kravitz To Play Marvin Gaye in New Biopic

Who better to play out the trials and tribulations of an R&B legend on the big screen than another musician, right? At least that’s what the creators of the upcoming biopic on Marvin Gaye seemed to have in mind when they cast rocker Lenny Kravitz for the iconic part.

Over the past few years Kravitz has quietly added 'actor' to his repertoire of artistic skills. Although this will serve as his first leading role, Kravitz does have some acting experience under his belt. In the past few years he’s played parts in movies like ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Precious’ and has a handful of additional movies he’s contributed to sitting in post-production or currently being filmed.

According to ABC News, the Marvin Gaye biopic will focus on the troubled artist’s life during the early ‘80s when he was in Europe and trying to kick his drug habit and revive his music career. Gaye’s life came to a tragic end in 1984 when he was shot by his father.

Although Kravitz has not yet commented on his involvement, his publicist has confirmed his role. The biopic is set to be shot next year and directed by Julien Temple.

Kravitz’s most recent album, ‘Black and White America,’ was released in August of 2011.